Oral
Abstract
Research summary supplied by the authors
The widespread applications of ionizing radiations such as X/γ-rays in industrial production as well as daily life call urgently for lightweight, high-efficiency and high-strength wearable radiation protection materials. In the recent years, we have designed and fabricated the first-generation natural leather-based radiation protection material, and evolved it into the third generation by integrating the merits of leather. The first generation of leather-based radiation protection materials focus on the loading and dispersion of the functional component, *i.e.* elements with high atomic number (Z). The structural and chemical merits of leather is preferable to reduce the particle size of high-Z elements, and therefore to enlarge the radiation performance. In this regard, an “impregnation–desolvation” strategy has been developed to introduced the high-Z elements following the process of tanning, which loaded high-Z element ions *via* coordination, hydrogen bond and electrostatic interaction. The resultant materials demonstrated good radiation protection performances stemming from the uniform dispersing capability of leather to high-Z elements. The second generation of leather-based radiation protection materials are devoted to offset the drawback of weak absorption in certain energy region. To this end, three approaches have been carried out including the loading the bis-high-Z element salts, loading the mixture of two high-Z element oxide nanoparticles as well as applying a thin polyurethane layer containing the second kind high-Z element. All methods were able to successfully introduce the second high-Z element into leather, thus complemented the weak absorption region of the material by the synergistic effect of bis-high-Z elements, and elevated the radiation protection performance to a large extent. The third generation of leather-based radiation protection materials are committed to further levitate the radiation protection capability without increasing the material density. To achieve this goal, advanced structural design has been carried out, and Barbican-inspired core-shell nanoparticles comprised of bis-high-Z elements are fabricated and incorporated into natural leather. By regulating the interaction between X/γ-ray photons with high-Z elements, the attenuation and absorption of photon energy have been maximized, and the radiation protection performances have been raised to a new stage. In a word, by integrating the merits of leather, we have fabricated advanced leather-based radiation protection materials, and have achieved the evolution of radiation protection materials with light weight, high efficiency and high strength.